Latch your doggie door against coyotes, just to be safe

I've seen a stray coyote in our neighborhood, which concerns me because we have two small dogs. Is there any chance that a coyote would use a doggie door to pursue their prey?

A stray coyote? Stray? You mean it didn't have tags or was lost or seemed to have run away from home?

Sorry, that was needlessly snarky. Sometimes I just can't help myself.

Anyway, I could not find anything scientific or definite about this matter during the whole five minutes or so of extensive research I put into it. (It was almost nap time.)

However, I did come across some anecdotal accounts of coyotes pursuing a cat or some roly-poly little dog through a doggie door and into a house.

You've got to figure that would be a little awkward.

Like you might be talking on the phone and have to say, "I'm sorry, Mother, but I have to go now. A coyote is chasing Fluffy around the house. No, not one of the hockey players. A real, honest-to-goodness coyote. Bye."

Now for what it's worth, here's my advice:

When the pooches go outside, go with them for as long as it takes them to do whatever it is they do out there.

And when you and the dogs are back in the house, latch the doggie door, just in case.

And if you're really worried about an imminent coyote attack, take some pepper spray or a nine-iron outside with you.